The present invention concerns structural articles including cast-in place bearings, and in particular concerns a structural article including preassembled bearings cast in place on a structural member, the preassembled bearings including a second bearing member movably supported on a first bearing member. The present invention further includes a method and tool for casting the structural article.
Preassembled ball bearings are often attached to a first structure to pivotally support a second structure on the first structure. However, known processes for attaching and securing these bearings require secondary operations and significant post casting/forming and processing of the first structure, such as machining, press-fitting, and reforming of material in the structure.
In the glider chair industry, bearings have historically been embedded in a wooden swing arm. However, longer and flatter glide paths are now being required in the industry, and thus longer swing arms are necessary to achieve the longer and flatter glide paths. Wood is not acceptable in many applications for the longer glide arms necessary to achieve the longer and flatter glide paths since the wood has a limited strength and inherent "defects" that will tend to crack or fracture if over-stressed. To date, most manufacturers have not considered metal swing arms commercially attractive due to their appearance and cost of manufacture and assembly.
Thus, an article for solving the aforementioned problems is desired, along with a method and tool for manufacturing same.